Surrealism - All Are Welcome to Post!

[rigid viper]

Surrealism is a fascinating art movement that explores the unconscious mind through dreamlike, illogical, and unexpected juxtapositions, Salvador Dali - DALL-E’s namesake - being one of the representative artists. “Dali on DALL-E”, ironically, poses considerable creative and technical challenges. Many of the key elements in Surrealist Art, such as unexpected juxtapositions, dreamlike distortions, and subconscious irrationality, often contradict the AI’s pattern-based logic, largely rooted in real-world logic and consistency.

So, who’s up for the challenge of creating compelling AI-generated Surrealist art? When you post your images, it'll be awesome if you can also share your prompt or comment on the techniques you used.

Cover image: Oldie but goodie: the first Surrealist image I created with DALL-E 2 via Bing Image Creator in September, 2023. Prompt: “Salvador Dali style painting of robot cat sitting on a tall futuristic looking chair, looking out the window. Outside the window are two robot birds cuddling on a tree branch."

[rigid viper]

In honor of the Pi Day: "Create a surrealistic oil painting inspired by Salvador Dali. The artwork features a flock of winged pies, floating in the sky. These pies should have detailed, realistic wings, adding to the surreal nature of the scene. The sky is a starry expanse, reminiscent of a Van Gogh night sky, filled with swirling patterns and bright stars. In the background, there's a lush, surreal jungle, rich with vibrant colors and dreamlike vegetation. The overall composition should convey a sense of depth and complexity, characteristic of Dali's style, with a focus on intricate details, unusual juxtapositions, and a dreamlike atmosphere. The painting should reflect a sophisticated use of color, rich textures, and the nuanced depth typical of oil paintings."

[rigid viper]

Fisheye lens is a great way to create distortion, one of the key elements in Surrealist Art. "Create a wide format image depicting an abstract sculpture of a fairytale village. The sculpture should showcase distorted proportions and curves typical of fisheye lens effects, emphasizing a surreal, exaggerated perspective. The village should feature whimsical houses, each with unique, curved architectural elements like twisted chimneys and bulging walls. The landscape around the village should also reflect this distortion, with rolling, curved hills and winding pathways. The overall composition should convey a playful and magical atmosphere, inviting viewers into a dreamlike world."

Surrealist quality of Antoni Gaudi's architecture emphasized with fisheye lens: "Create a wide format Surrealist landscape illustration with 360-degree panoramic fisheye lens effects, portraying a six-year-old girl standing in a Gaudi-inspired fairytale village. Apply a bent horizon, distorted proportions, exaggerated shapes, and curves characteristic of fisheye lens effects to enhance the village and surrounding landscape. The architecture should mimic Gaudi's unique style with organic shapes, spiraling towers, and mosaic facades. The landscape should include rolling, exaggerated hills and winding paths, contributing to a surreal, dreamlike quality. Use a soft, muted color palette centered on pinks, greens, purples, and golds to create an ephemeral, magical world atmosphere."

[red karma]

This image uses a warping technique. And this is how my particular image incorporates surrealism:

1. Subtle Warping of Everyday Objects
   • The lampposts bend slightly, resembling soft vines. This echoes Salvador Dalí’s method of making solid structures appear fluid, creating an eerie but familiar distortion.
   • The clock melts slightly, nodding to the iconic Persistence of Memory but in a restrained way that suggests reality dissolving into a dream.
   2. Elongated Shadows
   • The pedestrian’s shadow stretches unnaturally, hinting at dream logic where time and space are altered.
   • This technique, often used by Giorgio de Chirico, creates subconscious unease while maintaining a realistic foundation.
   3. Color Palette & Ethereal Quality
   • The hues are soft yet vibrant, reinforcing a dreamlike atmosphere.
   • Surrealists often used color manipulation to evoke psychological responses, ensuring the viewer senses the unnatural shift in reality.

[rigid viper]

Not exactly what I prompted, but I take it! "Abstract Surrealist painting with subtle geometric abstraction, depicting a Surrealist scene of a sculpture of a female gambler, made entirely with large flowers, wearing waistcoat and top hat, floating in the dark sky. Her dreamscape of rainbow-colored dinosaurs, talking plants and glowing magical planets mingling with brilliant galaxy. Surrealist starry sky and silhouetted trees in the background, limited color palette, pointillism" (BIC)

[acoustic sequoia]

A surreal landscape where logic dissolves into the absurd. A giant hand holds a miniature city in its palm, while the sky is filled with floating windows leading to other dimensions. Buildings melt like wax, bending and twisting unnaturally. The ground ripples like water when stepped on, reflecting distorted reflections of people who are not there. A massive, cracked mirror stands in the middle of the scene, showing an alternate version of reality. Eyes appear randomly in the environment, embedded in walls, clouds, and even tree trunks. A river flows upward into the sky, vanishing into a swirling portal. The scene is bizarre, uncanny, and deeply surreal.

A minimal surreal scene with an open, empty landscape. A single floating door stands alone in the vastness, casting a shadow in the wrong direction. A distant, featureless figure walks toward it, yet their reflection moves away. A thin, endless staircase emerges from the horizon but leads to nothing. The sky is a smooth gradient with an oversized moon, subtly distorted. A single tree, completely black, stands without leaves, its roots floating above the ground. Silence and stillness dominate the atmosphere, evoking a sense of quiet unease and mystery. The scene is empty yet deeply surreal.

[red karma]

A hyperrealistic surreal scene with paradoxical elements. A vividly rendered apple hovers in midair, casting a natural shadow on the table below. A glass hand rests beside it, reflecting distorted images of a landscape within its surface. The background is a serene room with windows showing an impossible sky—half day, half night. The lighting is crisp and natural, emphasizing the surreal contrasts within the realistic details.

[rigid viper]

I was exploring Surrealist double exposure photography and came across the technique called "solarization" used by Man Ray and other Surrealist artists. I generated the first image and then asked ChatGPT to apply solarization technique to create the second image.

[rigid viper]

Trying out a different style: "A wide-format digital concept art of a surrealist dreamscape. The central feature is a gigantic tree with a gnarled trunk and a wide-spread lush canopy. A fairytale village is built into the trunk of this tree, with tiny houses, farm fields, a majestic castle, and miniature villagers tending to their daily lives. Small cows graze on the floating fields, while a tiny king and queen oversee their realm from the castle. The entire tree floats in the sky, its massive dirt-covered roots obscured by drifting clouds. The background consists of a vast, ethereal sky blending warm and cool hues, creating a fantastical and dreamlike atmosphere. The illustration features a cel-shaded look with stylized and simplified shapes, evoking a charming storybook vibe."

[rigid viper]

I like to mix and match Surrealism and other art styles. "A wide-format abstract Pointillist painting with Gustav Klimt influences, depicting a surreal scene with a tilted horizon, distorted dimensions, and fisheye effects. An eccentric mermaid with wild, exploded hair, dressed in an elaborate steampunk costume, sits with a gray tabby cat on her lap. Both gaze curiously at a complex mechanical hourglass clock hanging overhead, swaying in a storm and blowing purple sand. A large eye with long eyelashes watches over everything. The background features a surreal stormy sky with swirling dark clouds and violently swaying silhouetted trees. The painting uses a dark, muted limited color palette, blending intricate pointillist details with Klimt-inspired gold and geometric patterns, with warped and exaggerated perspectives enhancing the dreamlike quality."

[quick fiber]

While working clover images, I thought I'd try a surreal version. Like @rigid viper, I enjoy mixing different styles. Prompt: "A surreal landscape where a giant clover-shaped lake floats weightlessly in the sky, untethered to the earth. Instead of reflecting the sky, its surface reveals an entirely different world beneath—another sky with upside-down clouds and birds flying in reverse. Floating fish swim through the air around the lake, as if water and sky have merged. Giant clover leaves drift lazily in the air, serving as islands where small houses and trees grow. The scene is painted in a surrealist dreamscape style, blending elements of Magritte’s impossible realities with Romantic Landscape painting. The atmosphere is soft yet surreal, evoking a quiet, mesmerizing wonder." Not all of the surreal prompt elements made it into the image, so I hope it's 'surreal' enough 🙂

[red karma]

Baroque Surrealism: A grand Baroque-style surrealist painting featuring an opulent dreamscape. Towering golden angelic figures with melting wings descend from dramatic storm clouds, illuminated by radiant divine light. Below, a lavish palace with ornate gilded details floats above a swirling ocean, defying gravity. The scene is rich in intricate textures, heavy chiaroscuro lighting, and exaggerated movement, capturing the theatrical elegance of Baroque art infused with surreal dream logic.

[rigid viper]

Abstract Fauvist painting depicting a Surrealist scene of a bearded old man in steampunk costume with his gray tabby cat, sipping matcha tea from a big crystal teacup. Surrealist starry sky and silhouetted trees in the background, limited color palette, pointillism

[red karma]

A surreal landscape with paradoxical perspectives. A vast desert where staircases float in midair, leading to doorways that open into different dimensions. Gigantic hands emerge from the sand, holding miniature cities within their palms. A river of liquid sky flows through the scene, reflecting both the sun and the moon simultaneously. The horizon bends, creating a sense of endless, dreamlike depth.

[quick fiber]

A surreal interpretation of time and mechanics, where floating clockwork islands drift peacefully in a golden-hued sky. Each island is a harmonious blend of organic nature and intricate gears, with trees growing through mechanical frameworks and waterfalls flowing like streams of liquid brass. Delicate clock hands rotate gently in the sky, marking time with effortless grace. Ethereal golden light bathes the scene, giving it a dreamlike, uplifting atmosphere. The composition evokes a sense of wonder and serenity, as if time itself is a living, breathing force in perfect balance.

[quick fiber]

It's fun to give a very broad request and see what happens.
My request: how about something surreal that's fun and kid friendly?
Prompt: A whimsical floating carnival in the sky, with pastel-colored clouds as platforms. Giant candy Ferris wheels spin while hot air balloons shaped like smiling animals float around. A roller coaster loops through a shimmering rainbow, and cotton candy trees sway in a gentle breeze. Friendly, round-faced stars twinkle above, while joyful toy-like creatures ride pogo sticks and giant rubber duckies. The scene is illustrated in a dreamy, storybook style with soft lighting and playful details.

[rigid viper]

A wide-format Mid-century Minimalist painting with Surrealist elements. The scene depicts a man with a guitar and a devil, shadowy and backlit, shaking hands at the crossroads in the middle of the night. Their long, distorted shadows stretch across the road, symbolizing the nefarious nature of their handshake. The background is a surreal pastoral landscape with distorted perspective and a tilted horizon, featuring dark farm fields, crooked farmhouses, strangely shaped trees and oversized, dreamlike flowers. Silhouetted bats fly through the night sky. The composition uses Film Noir style lighting with strong chiaroscuro effects, dark muted colors, and subtle metallic accents to evoke a mysterious and ominous mood.

[rigid viper]

A surrealist painting with precise, realistic detail and a quiet, detached mood. A woman in a dark suit and bowler hat, with long blond hair, stands facing the viewer, but instead of a face, a large, soft pink peony flower blooms from beneath the brim of her hat, obscuring her identity. She is surrounded by floating teapots and teacups, gently hovering in the air. The figure is off to the side and expressionless, frozen in stillness. The background is a sterile urban environment with a twisted street, a few scrawny, leafless trees, and a pale blue sky streaked with dark, motionless clouds. The composition is minimal and balanced, using subtle lighting with no harsh shadows. The overall effect is calm yet uncanny, creating a sense of dreamlike dissonance through the unexpected juxtaposition of ordinary elements.

[red karma]

A soft pastel rendering of a surreal urban rooftop scene where birds are nesting in miniature apartment complexes. The nests resemble tiny furnished living rooms with warm lighting. The birds are both realistic and subtly anthropomorphic, blending the natural with the architectural. The city skyline fades into a gentle, dreamlike haze.

[quick fiber]

A surreal and atmospheric scene of a cyber-koto player performing in a floating archive. The player wears a futuristic outfit with subtle traditional Japanese elements, seated at an ornately detailed koto rendered in Gongbi style—exquisite ink-and-color precision on the wood grain and strings. Around them, ancient books float through the air like birds, their pages fluttering gently. As the music flows, glowing musical notes emerge and illuminate the pages of forgotten songs, casting a soft neon light. The environment combines cyberpunk aesthetics (holograms, glowing accents, tech-worn architecture) with Ghibli-style whimsy (floating elements, dreamy colors, poetic motion). The mood is wondrous, nostalgic, and cinematic.

[rigid viper]

Oooh, nice one!

[quick fiber]

Thank you! I'm experimenting with differnet style fusions 🙂

[rigid viper]

Fabulous... Love the colors!

[rigid viper]

A dark, surrealist painting with precise, realistic detail and a quiet, detached and broody mood. A frontal view of a raven, its black feathers sleek and shiny, with beady black eyes. The raven is perched on a cluttered desk, frozen in stillness. The background is the dark ruins of a Gothic library with surrealist twists—dodo birds sit on crumbling bookshelves, and the space is heavily overgrown with green plants, twisted trees, and flowering wisteria vines. Leather-bound books float in the air. The hyperreal organic details create an unsettling contrast against the still, decayed architecture. Above, a pale blue sky is streaked with dark, motionless clouds. The composition is minimal and balanced, with subtle lighting and no harsh shadows. The overall effect is calm, eerie, and uncanny, evoking a dreamlike dissonance through the unexpected juxtaposition of ordinary elements.

[red karma]

Style fusions are definitely rewarding! Nice job!

[quick fiber]

"A serene, fantastical painting shows a floating island in the sky, bearing a bird's nest with two adult birds carefully watching over five delicate blue eggs speckled with brown. The male Eastern Bluebird, with striking blue and orange plumage, perches near the nest, his gaze fixed on the eggs, while the female sparrow, softer in color, affectionately touches his beak. Vibrant clouds surround the scene in a bright golden sky. A distant commercial airplane soars across the background, adding a touch of surreal modernity. The image is warmly lit, with rich, dreamy colors evoking peace and wonder."